Case Number 26703

BREAKING BAD: THE FINAL SEASON (BLU-RAY)

The Charge

"The special love I have for you, my baby blue."

Opening Statement

One of television's most exciting dramas comes to a close on Blu-ray with the
release of Breaking Bad: The Final Season -- the accurate if confusing
name for what was originally called the second half of the show's fifth season.
Over five-ish seasons, show creator Vince Gilligan and an all-star team brought
to shocking life the story of chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin Walter White
(Bryan Cranston) and his tortured protégé Jesse Pinkman (Aaron
Paul).

Since I was crazy about avoiding spoilers when I watched the show, I offer
this warning: while I will avoid specifics for these episodes, references to
previous seasons are fair game. Really, though, if you are reading this without
having seen any of the seasons just stop and watch the show.

Facts of the Case

Breaking Bad: The Final Season has eight episodes across two
discs:

Disc One * "Blood Money" *
"Buried" * "Confessions" * "Rabid
Dog"

Disc Two * "To'Hajiilee" *
"Ozymandias" * "Granite State" *
"Felina"

The Evidence

The end of Breaking Bad's fourth season marked a turning point in
Walter White's bloody rise to meth overlord. With his competition eliminated,
Walt grabbed power with his trademark mix of ego, smarts, and poor
decision-making. As Season Five came to a close, it looked like all the violence
and emotional turmoil had been worth it. Walter White appeared to have gotten
away with it. Then his DEA brother-in-law ruined it all by having to use the
bathroom.

One of Breaking Bad's strengths over its first four seasons was the
writers' meticulous approach to Walt and Jesse's antics -- beginning with the
pilot episode, which ended with the pair using chemistry to off a rival drug
dealer and save themselves. Most shows would have let the meth MacGyver
triumphant moment stand, then jump ahead to a wacky new adventure in episode
two. Instead, Breaking Bad's second episode picked up where the first
left off, with Walt and Jesse cleaning up their murderous mess. The strict
approach set the template for rest of the series, with the writers following
every lie, every decision, every act of violence to its conclusion -- creating a
polished series that always played straight with the characters and the
audience.

Beginning with Season Five, the show's timeline accelerated. Whether because
the focus shifted, or Vince Gilligan realized they only had 16 episodes to wrap
up the story, the pace quickened, building to a season finale montage that leapt
forward a few months, glossing over the specifics of Walt leaving his
meth-cooking career behind. This Final Season moves at a more consistent pace
than the fifth season, but these eight last episodes operate in the same
hurry-up mode. The showdown set up by the previous season finale happens quicker
than expected. Even so, there's a lot to pack in so the story can catch up to
the flash-forward teaser from the fifth season premiere. I'll leave it up to
fans to argue whether that cold open -- which found future Walt with a full head
of hair, a New Hampshire driver's license, and a massive machine gun -- was
worth the effort it took the writers to fit it all into this last season. The
end result is too damn compelling to care. The foreknowledge allows for some of
the best moments in the season, including the heart-wrenching climax of the Rian
Johnson-directed "Ozymandias" -- one of the show's best episodes --
and a series finale that sticks the landing.

Most great TV shows do one thing really well: plot twists, character
development, sharp dialogue, or cinematography. Breaking Bad is one of
the very few that's great at everything. It's a show full of jaw-dropping twists
that's not afraid to pause so a character can deliver a five-minute monologue.
It focuses on the small things as well as the big things, and more often than
not those small things snowball into big things -- not because it's convenient
but because it's believable. This Final Season has all the things that make the
show great, packed into a tight eight episode arc and delivered by actors who
fully inhabit these characters. While Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul get the most
(well-deserved) attention, this season also features exceptional work by Bob
Odenkirk, Jesse Plemons, and Betsy Brandt -- with special commendation to Anna
Gunn and Dean Norris. As Skyler and Hank, they were both criticized in early
seasons as flat characters, but this final season makes up for it as Gunn and
Norris are given a lot of emotional heavy lifting, playing people pushed to the
extremes on either side of Walt's mad crime spree.

Breaking Bad: The Final Season on Blu-ray highlights Gilligan and his
team's dedication to quality and attention to detail. The 1.78:1 1080p image is
razor sharp, showing off every new wrinkle in Walt's face and his plans, equally
strong in scenes set in dark night and sun-bleached day; in the deserts of New
Mexico or snowy New England. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix delivers
blockbuster intensity compared to most TV dramas' paltry sound. While the mix
favors the front speakers, rear channels are put to good use for music, effects,
and this season's many heavy weapon shootouts.

This Final Season also bests most TV sets in the quantity and quality of
bonus features. Breaking Bad fans are an obsessive group (I should know),
and there are plenty of insights and information to satisfy lingering
curiosities. This set includes:

* "The Layers of a Sound Mix" (5:39): The opening text explains
how this featurette breaks down the sound mix of a "Blood Money" scene
into its three main components: production audio, music, and sound effects.

* "Ozymandias Trailer" (1:10): Moody desert imagery under a
reading from Shelley's classic poem creates a memorable trailer for this
season's high point.

* "The Main Event" (14:24): A detailed look at filming a major
character's exit from the show.

* "The Final Showdown" (10:01): The story of how they figured out
how to use the machine gun they wrote into the cold open of the Season Five
premiere comes down to squibs, squibs, and more squibs.

* "Life of a Show Runner" (9:36): A featurette dedicated to Vince
Gilligan's many talents.

* "Breaking Bad Mythbusters Special" (42:37): For now, at
least, this Blu-ray set comes packaged with a standalone Blu-ray (in a paper
sleeve) with the Mythbusters episode dedicated to testing two of the
show's famous first season moments: dissolving a body (and bathtub), and Walt's
mercury fulminate bomb.

Closing Statement

While it's tough to see a great show end, it was a joy to watch Breaking
Bad bring one of TV's most compelling stories to a close. Vince Gilligan and
his writers packed a lot into these final eight episodes, sending Walter, Jesse,
Skyler, Hank, Marie, Saul, and the rest of the characters who survived the first
five seasons on one last, thrilling ride. Some may argue that the series peaked
a couple of episodes prior to the finale, but the gut-punch of
"Ozymandias" does nothing to diminish the feat of creating a closing
episode worthy of the 61 that came before it -- a satisfying finale that's equal
parts tragic and triumphant. This Breaking Bad: The Final Season Blu-ray
set softens the blow of losing the series with hours of fun and fascinating
bonus features and a top-notch presentation.